Girl Meets Graduation
by dobegirl15
Summary: This story takes place at the end of Riley's senior year- in 2020. Riley and Maya are excited to attend NYU, and Lucas will be joining them as well. However, Lucas had wanted to go to a prestigious veterinary school in California. Will he choose to stay with Riley or follow his dream?
1. Feeny's Assignment

**Okay, so I was reading other GMW fanfics and I felt inspired to write this. I don't really know how it's going to turn out. Please review and tell me if you think I should continue!**

**I also want to add (before anyone comments) that **_**yes**_** this is somewhat paralleled with BMW. Not going to say exactly how yet, but it is. Thank you for reading and please enjoy!**

*YEAR 2020*

Riley and Lucas walked arm in arm into their first class that day- Mr. Matthews' history class. It was the last week before they would graduate, and they were both sad and yet excited to move on from high school.

Riley had decided to go to her parents' alma mater, NYU. She had visited the campus and loved it completely. It had so much that she wanted- close proximity to home, great programs, amazing clubs and activities, and, most of all, her best friend, Maya. They were going to have so much fun together in college being roommates, helping each other with classes, and just being able to stay best friends. Riley could not be more excited to have Maya join her. Then when Lucas announced that he would be joining her, she became ecstatic.

Lucas, Riley's boyfriend of four years, had applied to numerous colleges. These included NYU, Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, and UC-Davis. Since he was a child, he wanted to become a veterinarian, and UC-Davis had the best program in the country. Therefore, it was his dream college. There was just one problem- it was all the way in California. There was no way he could leave Riley. That was why he decided to stay in New York and attend NYU with her. He was a little disappointed, but he knew that he would be happier with her in his life.

As they walked into class, they met up with Maya, who was standing by her usual desk next to Riley's.

"Sup, losers," Maya greeted them.

"Hey, Maya," Riley said with a smile. "Are you excited to start our last week here?!"

"Yeah! I've been waiting to get out of this place since kindergarten!" she said enthusiastically, pumping her fist in the air.

Lucas smirked and said, "Well, I can assure you that we are very disappointed to hear that, ma'am. You see, without being stuck here, you never would have met us."

Maya opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She knew that Bucky McBoingBoing had won this round. She held her hand up like a claw and shuddered, jokingly angry at her loss. She turned and sat in her desk.

Riley and Lucas smiled and went to their desks just as the final bell rang to begin class.

"Well, seniors," Cory began. "This is your last week as students here. I hope that you have enjoyed your time here overall, and that you leave with fond memories. Because this is history class, we will be reflecting on our history in this school together. That's why I'm assigning you an essay."

The class groaned at Cory's announcement. "Yeah, yeah," Cory said, waving away their attitudes.

"Dad, this is our last week. I mean, come on, can't you _not_ give us homework?" Riley pleaded.

"Riley, I haven't even told you what it is yet," Cory countered.

"But I know it's going to be hard, considering all we can think about is graduation," Riley answered.

"Too bad. I'm mad with power," Cory said, shrugging off the conversation. He turned back to the entire class.

"Now, let me explain your assignment. I would like a 500-word essay on your time at this school. It can be about whatever you want- friends, sports, classes; it doesn't matter to me. I just want to see you reflect. As long as I can tell you've reflected, you'll get an A," Cory explained.

"Wait, so this is just busy work?" Riley asked. "I mean, if we can easily get an A on it and you don't care what we write about, it's just busy work."

"Riley, I can _assure_ you that it's not busy work."

"Prove it," Riley said with a smirk.

"Remember my teacher, Mr. Feeny?" he asked his daughter. Riley nodded. "Well, he gave out this assignment in the last week of _my_ senior year."

"So?"

"So I discovered that it was beneficial. Reflection helps you learn from mistakes and improve your future decisions," Cory said, again looking at the class. "And I think that we can all use betterment of our future decisions, especially with high school ending."

"Fair enough," Riley said, satisfied enough with her father's answer.

The class went on, with Cory mainly asking for discussion about his students' futures. Riley was one of the first to excitedly raise her hand to tell about her and Maya's acceptance at NYU. Nearly everyone in class raised their hand except for one: Lucas Friar.

**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review! Again, please let me know if you're interested and think I should continue this story! **


	2. After-Class Discussion

When Mr. Matthews's class was over, Riley stood and waited for Lucas to come to her side. Once again, they linked arms to walk through the hallways. Farkle joined them.

"So what are you going to write about?" Riley asked Lucas.

"Well, I would say that I'd write about you, but I don't want your dad to get the wrong idea," he said, chuckling.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Riley, if I wrote about you, it would end up having a lot of my feelings in there. And I don't really want him to think badly of me because of how much I love you."

Riley's heart instantly melted and she said, "Aww!" as she stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "I love you too," she said, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"No PDA!" Farkle shouted loudly. "Unless you want me to get your father…" Farkle teased from the classroom door.

Riley rolled her eyes playfully. There's no way he'd ever stop with the "your-dad's-the-teacher" jokes.

Riley and Lucas went to the bench in between their classrooms and sat together.

"Farkle, are you coming?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for Maya."

"What's she doing in there still anyway?" Riley asked.

"I don't know," Farkle said. "But I'm not going to interrupt."

"Hmm," Lucas said. "She's probably trying to come up with some more insults," he laughed.

"Well she needs them," Riley said. "After all, you always win."

"I do, don't I," Lucas said, playfully prideful.

Then Maya came from Cory's classroom and Farkle went to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, babe," he said, grinning his goofy smile.

"Farkle, not in public," Maya said, practically under her breath.

"Oh, come on. Everyone's going to know you have feelings eventually. It's the last week. Let loose!" Farkle encouraged her.

"Ugh, fine," Maya said. She looked at Farkle for a moment and then seemed to get an idea. She grabbed Farkle's hand and spun herself around like a dancer before Farkle dipped her and bent down to kiss her. While he was a small kid in middle school, he had grown tall and now seemed to tower over Maya with his six feet.

"Hey, no PDA!" Riley called out, laughing.

"Oh, like you can talk," Maya said. "You guys are like the worst couple in the history of the school for PDA."

"She's not wrong," Lucas said, leaning toward Riley and smiling at her.

"That's true," Riley said, scooting closer.

"Hey, guys," Cory said from the doorway. At his voice, Riley and Lucas quickly scooted apart to their own sides of the bench.

"Oh, like I don't know what you guys do when I'm not looking," Cory said, waving it away. "I'm still not okay with it, but I know it's going to happen. I, too, was a teenage boy once," he said. Then he abruptly pointed at Lucas. "I know what you're thinking. Don't."

Lucas put his hands up in surrender and scooted even farther from Riley.

"Dad, you know that if you weren't my teacher, and someone else was, they wouldn't really care," Riley said, looking up at her father.

"I know," Cory said. "Why do you think I followed you guys all the way up to senior year?" he said, giving them an "I gotcha" look.

Riley sighed.

Lucas said, "Sir, we're going to be in college next year, and I-"

"Save it! I was a college guy once too. Still- don't."

"Dad, come on. You and Mom are way worse at home," Riley said, giving Cory a look.

"Hmm, I see where you're coming from," he said, nodding. "Let me just point out the fact that we're _married_!" he said, continuing the half-joking argument.

"Oh, like you guys didn't do anything in high school or college," Riley said.

"Hey, have I ever told you we did?"

"No."

"Do you have any proof that we did?"

"No, but-"  
"Then we didn't," Cory said, smiling with pride at his victory.

Riley rolled her eyes and decided to let her father have this battle.

"Whatever, Dad," she said.

"So no more of this," he said, motioning toward Riley and Lucas and moving his hands around.

"Sir, I never exactly got to say what I was going to say," Lucas said.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were trying to contribute to your losing battle," Cory said with a grin.

Lucas chuckled. "No, sir. I just wanted to make sure you were fine with Riley and me going to the same college. I mean, it won't be high school anymore, and I didn't know if you had any reservations about-"

"Stop!" Cory interrupted. "Here's a common rule- if you wouldn't do it in front of me, don't do it. Even if it wasn't Riley, that's a good rule. And that applies until you're married, son!" Cory said with a grin at his pride in his cleverness.

"Hey, why aren't you saying any of this to Farkle?" Lucas asked.

"It's Farkle," Cory said. "I trust Farkle. And I trust- well I don't really trust Maya to not do anything bad, but I trust Farkle!"

Maya grinned at Cory's remark.

"Now I have to go," Cory said. "It's my free period, and they have donuts in the teacher's lounge!" he exclaimed, walking happily down the hallway.

"Your dad is really obsessed with making sure you're innocent," Maya said, laughing.

"What's new?" Riley commented. She turned to Lucas. "Just look at it this way- when we're in college, there will be no way for him to jump out of a classroom and scold us."

"I know," Lucas said, sighing.

"I just wish you were coming with us," Maya said to Farkle.

"Yeah, I know," he answered sadly. "But I really want to take over my dad's business one day. And I can't do that without getting a great education from a prestigious college."

"I know," Maya said, taking his hand.

"But I'll miss you more than anything," Farkle said.

"I'll miss you," Maya said. Then she seemed to look around and realize where she was. "Gosh, will you listen to me?! I've become a sap!"

"Maya, you have not become a sap!" Riley said. "You just have feelings. Everybody has feelings. There's no need to hide from them! Once Lucas and I figured that out, we've been the happiest we've ever been," she said with a smile up at Lucas, who had once again scooted over and put his arm around her.

Then the bell rang to end their break between classes. Maya and Farkle walked hand in hand to their next class and Riley sighed as she stood up. She held her hand out to Lucas and he took it and stood up, pulling her to an embrace.

"So, I'll see you tonight?" Lucas asked.

"Of course," Riley said.

He pecked her cheek and walked to his next class as Riley went to hers.

**Hey guys! Hope you liked the chapter! I know it might come as kind of a shock to see Maya and Farkle together, but I've read some fanfics of them together, and I've seen that I really like them as a couple. Still a big Joshaya shipper, but I don't see it happening, so I'm going with second best.**

**I really hope you enjoyed chapter 2! What do you think Riley and Lucas's plans are for tonight? Also, I'd be interested to know what you guys think about MayaxFarkle. (I don't know what their ship name is…is it Markle? Or Faya?) **

**What do you think about Cory and Lucas's relationship? I can tell you that it's about to get a lot more interesting in the coming chapters! :D **

**Please review!**


	3. Lucas's Visit

Riley was sitting in her room around 9:00 that night doing some homework. She had already eaten dinner and had announced that she'd be turning in for the night. That's the only way she could see Lucas without her dad watching every second.

Maya had come by for a few hours after school too, and they worked on a project for their art class. Then she went home to see her mom because she was off of work.

There was a tap on the window, and Riley looked up to see Lucas smiling at her through the glass. She smiled back and then walked to the bay window, sat down, and opened it.

"Hey, babe," he greeted her.

"Hey," she replied, giving him a quick kiss.

"So, what'cha doin'?" he asked as he climbed in and sat down.

"Just working on some homework."

"Oh," he commented. He had a somewhat strained look on his face and Riley could see it, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

"What is it?" she asked him, after a few moments of silence.

Lucas looked at Riley thoughtfully and then took her hands.

"What are your plans for after high school?" he asked her.

"Lucas, you know what my plans are. We're going to NYU together with Maya and it'll be just like it is now. Except we won't have Farkle," she said, frowning slightly. "But we can video chat, so it'll be okay!"

"I know all that, but what about us?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. "We'll be together at NYU!"

"Well," he began, the strained look becoming more defined. "We'll be living on our own in college, so we'll have more freedom."

"Yeah, I know that," she said, even more confused. "Lucas, what's going on?"

"Won't you want to go out with other people there? I mean there's going to be thousands of other people to meet. Don't you think we'll want to see other people?" he asked her.

Riley looked concerned at Lucas and swallowed hard. "What are you saying? No, I don't want to meet other people! That's why we're all going to be together, Lucas. So that it doesn't get to that point!"

"Trust me, Riley, I know that's the reason we're going there," he said, looking away.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. It's just that you know I've looked at other places," he said, looking at her again.

"I know that," Riley said. "But you decided on NYU, right?" she asked him.

"I paid my enrollment deposit," he answered.

"Okay, so that's it."

"Except I also paid my enrollment deposit at Davis," he said slowly.

"What? Why would you do that? I thought you're going to NYU," she said, taking her hands back.

"I thought so too," he said.

"What, you don't want to be with me?" she asked.

"No, that's not it. The only reason I wanted to go to NYU was because of you. Because I know that I need you in my life," he said, leaning toward her from the intensity of what he was saying.

"But you said that you liked the veterinary program," she said.

"I told you that because I needed to have a logical reason to go there. I couldn't just say I was going there for you or you never would have let me do it."

Riley looked down, concentrating on her thoughts, unsure of how to respond.

"You're right," she said. "And now I'm not going to let you. You have to go to Davis," she said, looking up with tears in her eyes.

"Riley, I don't know what to do," he said, taking her hands again.

"You're going to Davis."

"You can't decide for me. I have to decide for myself. I have to decide between Davis and you. And it's impossible," he said, shaking his head. "How do I choose between my dream college and my dream girl?"

A tear fell down Riley's face and she scooted close to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I guess you have to decide which one means the best life for you," she said, looking up at him. "A great veterinary career or me. But Lucas, you have to understand that Davis is the better choice. You've heard that no one keeps their relationship after high school, right? I mean, there's the occasional exception."

"Like your parents," he interrupted.

"Yeah," Riley answered. "But they knew each other since they were two and they were crazy my Uncle Shawn says," she said, laughing weakly. "Anyway, the point is that you have to go to Davis. I won't accept anything else."

"Thank you, Riley," he said, looking in her eyes.

"I don't deserve a thank you," she said, shaking her head. "I almost forced you to go to NYU and destroyed your dream. This is the least I can do to make it up to you."

Lucas looked thoughtfully at Riley and said, "You have nothing to make up to me. You make me happy every day just by being you."

Riley smiled at Lucas and began to cry softly.

She hugged him and whispered, "I love you."

He stroked her head and said, "I love you more."

**Okay, so a sad Rucas chapter. Lots of Rucas though. Was it what you thought would happen? Hope you enjoyed it even though it's sad. I don't know why I keep writing these sad chapters! Same thing happened with my other story, Cory's Birthday. Oh well. Things have to be sad to get good again.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	4. Meeting with Mr Matthews

Lucas had a huge decision to make. Did he want to go to Davis and be able to succeed in a veterinary career? Not that he wouldn't have a good career if he went to NYU. If he went to NYU, he could see his friends and Riley every day, and he could still become a veterinarian. There wouldn't be any technical difference in his degree. Except he wouldn't have as great of an opportunity as he would at Davis. In California, he could have the chance to work with great doctors and help animals while he was in college, with the many internships they offered there. But in New York, he could stay with the person he loves.

All these thoughts constantly raced through Lucas's mind in the next few days. He talked to his parents about it, but they offered little help; all they told him was that he should be careful with his decision and choose what he believed in strongly. He believed strongly in his choice to be a veterinarian, but he also believed strongly in his relationship with Riley.

That was why he decided to talk to Cory- Mr. Matthews. He had been his teacher for years, and he knew so much about his situation.

On Wednesday of his last week at school, he went to his teacher early that morning to set up a meeting after school. He didn't want Riley to find out about it, so he told Cory to keep it between them.

Cory was confused as to why Lucas wanted to have a secret meeting and he was a little scared about what Lucas would talk to him about. He knew that Lucas had been struggling with his college decision for a while, so he kind of expected a conversation about that, but he didn't know why he decided to come to him of all people. After all, Cory was obviously biased toward Riley- except he didn't know if he wanted Lucas at NYU, alone with his daughter, or in California, far away from endangering his daughter.

When school ended that day, both Cory and Lucas were a little nervous about the conversation.

Riley was waiting for Lucas in the hallway, and when she saw him, she gave him a weak smile and walked over to him, putting her arm around his waist.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey," she replied.

"I have to stay after school today, so I won't be able to walk you home," he said to her. "But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Why do you have to stay after school?" she asked.

Lucas didn't want to lie to Riley, but he didn't know what to tell her.

"I have a meeting with one of my teachers about college stuff," he said, waving his hand as if it didn't mean anything.

"Oh," Riley said. "So have you decided yet?"

"No, but I'm hoping this will help."

"Me too," she said. She hugged him and then walked away, deciding to ride the subway home.

Lucas took a deep breath and watched Riley walk away. He then turned toward Cory's class and walked in.

Cory was sitting at his desk grading papers when Lucas walked in. He looked up and said, "Mr. Friar, have a seat."

"Thanks," Lucas answered as he sat down in a desk in the front row.

"So what is this meeting about?" Cory asked.

"I just want some direction from a trusted adult," Lucas said.

"Okay, on what?"

"On my future," Lucas answered. "I don't really know what I'm supposed to do. Do I go to California or stay in New York?"

"Ah," Cory said, understanding Lucas's dilemma. "Well, Lucas, you need to weigh this decision carefully. The main goal should be to not have any regrets. If you go to NYU, will you have regrets? If you go to Davis, will you have regrets? Choose to go where there are no regrets. That's the best advice I can give you. Have you talked to your parents?"

"Yeah, but they just told me to choose carefully. I mean, I guess I'd just rather have someone choose for me. I'd rather not have to personally decide. That way nobody's to blame for anything," Lucas said.

Cory stood from his desk and went to the other side to face Lucas.

"So you want to make everyone happy?"  
"I just don't want to hurt anyone. If I go to Davis, I'll hurt Riley and all my friends. If I go to NYU, I don't want to hurt myself."  
"Lucas, you need to think about _your_ feelings because it's _your _life. Don't think about what others say. Follow your heart."

"So if I went to Davis would you be mad at me for leaving Riley?"

"No, I couldn't do that," Cory said. "As much as I love Riley and want her to be happy, I couldn't ask you to give up your dream to stay with her. Everything here would work out in time."

"But it would be without me," Lucas said, looking down.

Cory looked at Lucas and realized how painful this decision was for him. He could see the hurt in Lucas's eyes as he recognized the severity of the consequences of his decision.

"I don't want to be out of the picture, sir," Lucas said, looking up at Cory. "I don't ever want to be out of the picture."

"So what does that mean?" Cory asked.

Lucas stood up excitedly. "Do you think I'm crazy?" he asked.

Cory chuckled. "You don't even know crazy, kid. You should've seen me and Topanga. Now _we_ were crazy."

"So I'm thinking correctly?"

"If this is what your heart's set on, then yeah," Cory said.

"So you think that I should do whatever my heart is set on?" Lucas asked. "Even if I give up a prestigious college to stay in New York?"

"Yeah, even then."

"You're giving me your permission to do whatever my heart is set on," Lucas said, getting more excited.

"Woah, slow down there, cowboy," Cory said. "Whatever _within reason_. Don't go off and get a face tattoo and then go home and say, 'Mr. Matthews said it's okay!'"

"Of course not, sir. But I know what I'm going to do now! I don't _ever_ want to be out of the picture. I don't know if this is the time to say it, but I'm in love with your daughter, sir, and I could never be out of the picture. I don't even know what I was thinking. I can't go to Davis! Thank you sir!" Lucas said as he ran out of the classroom.

Cory chuckled as he watched Lucas run. _There's a boy in love,_ he thought. He was just glad that Riley wouldn't have to go through the pain of a long distance relationship. He and Topanga had tried that for a few weeks and it almost killed them both.

It worried him a little, as he didn't know how Lucas's parents would take the news. Would they really want Lucas staying in New York and giving up an education in California for a girl? Probably not. But potentially killing himself because he chose to go to California wouldn't have benefited him either.

Cory packed his papers into his briefcase and grabbed his keys. He walked out of the classroom and locked the door. He could faintly hear a conversation going on down the hall.

"Yes, sir," the kid was saying. _Lucas,_ Cory thought. _He must be telling his parents._

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Lucas said. "Thank you so much."

Cory smiled. Lucas's parents were accepting of his decision. That was a great thing. Cory walked out of the school and put his briefcase in his car to drive home to his wonderful family.

**Chapter 4 down! What do you think? Did you think Lucas would choose NYU? The story isn't over yet, so stay tuned!**

**Please review! I love hearing what you think! :)**


	5. Telling Riley

When Lucas finished his conversation with Cory, he felt like he was walking on air. Never before had he felt so freed from the stresses in his life. He hadn't realized that Cory could help him so much, but now he didn't know why he didn't meet with Cory in the first place.

Lucas was on his way to Riley's house with a huge smile on his face. He had the best news to tell Riley, and he couldn't wait to see her reaction when he told her he was staying. As he walked down the street, he looked around and saw all the people walking with frowns and sour looks. At one point, he even stopped a lady to tell her that it was a beautiful day and that she should smile. The lady looked at him weirdly and said, "Try living in reality."

Lucas let the lady pass, but didn't let her attitude phase him. He continued to smile all the way to Riley's bay window. When he knocked on the glass, Riley looked up, confused. She hadn't expected to see Lucas that night.

Riley went to the window and opened it.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, delightfully surprised.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Lucas asked her.

"Of course, but I didn't expect to see you until tomorrow."

Lucas climbed into Riley's room and then kissed her.

"You're certainly in a good mood! What was that for?" she asked.

"I have some news," Lucas said. "About college."

"Oh," Riley said. She sat down at her window and Lucas sat next to her. "Go on," she said.

"Well, I stayed after school today to have a meeting about it," he started.

"Yeah, I know."

"I met with your dad."  
"My dad?" she asked, confused. "Why didn't you tell me you were meeting with him?"

"Because I didn't want you to be worried about it. But that's not important right now."

"Okay," she said, nodding for him to continue.

"So I told him about the problem I've had with choosing colleges, and he told me to make sure I have no regrets. Good advice. And I told him that I didn't want to disappoint or hurt you or me or anybody else, so I wanted to make the right choice," he rushed through the conversation.

"Right," Riley said.

"Then I asked him if he'd be mad if I left you here."

"Oh," Riley said, looking down.

"And he said no, because he wants me to make my own choice. He wants me to follow my heart. Then, he said the thing that made up my mind."

"What did he say?" Riley asked.

"He said that you would be okay if I left. He said that eventually you would move on."

Riley looked down, sure that this was Lucas saying goodbye.

Lucas lifted her chin up and said, "No, don't be sad. Because do you know what I realized when he said that?"

"What?" Riley asked quietly.

"I realized that you would move on _without_ me. And then I realized that I could never let that happen."

Riley looked up.

"I realized that no matter what, I'm never going to leave you, Riley. Because I never want to be out of the picture. I want to be in your picture forever."

Riley smiled widely and her eyes glistened with tears.

"But what about Davis?" she asked, the smile fading from her face. "I thought we went over how I'm not going to let you go to NYU if you don't-"

"But I want to go to NYU. I don't want to go to Davis. Because you're not at Davis. See, that's another thing that I realized there. Davis isn't my future, Riley. You are."

Riley began smiling again and she reached over to hug Lucas tightly. Tears escaped her eyes, and she quietly said, "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he replied, hugging her just as tightly.

When their long embrace ended, Lucas took Riley's hands.

"Do you believe that we're going to be together forever?" he asked her.

"Of course," she said. "I know we're just kids, but if we love each other enough for you to do that, then I don't know what in the world could stop us."

"You're right," he said, smiling at her deep brown eyes. "And that's the last thing that I realized with your dad."

"What?"

"That we love each other. We love each other _so much_. I love you so much, Riley."

"I love you, too, Lucas," Riley said, wondering where this was going.

"So, uh," Lucas began. He looked around and then stood up, pulling Riley's hands up so she stood too.

"When I was talking to your dad, he told me that he gave me his permission to follow my heart. Well, as long as I didn't get a face tattoo," he said. Riley giggled.

"So, Riley Matthews," he began. He knelt down on one knee and took a box out of his pocket. He opened the box to reveal a simple, but very beautiful, diamond ring.

"Will you marry me?"

**Ahhh! I wanted to write this chapter so much that I couldn't wait, so I did it today! So, it finally happened! He proposed! I loved writing this chapter, and I hope you all love it too! It just leaves us hanging with what happens now… What will Riley say? What about Cory? Yep, some big things are going to be happening!**

**Please review and let me know how you liked the chapter!**


	6. Riley's Answer

Riley's eyes widened as she stood in shock for a few seconds. She couldn't wrap her head around what just happened. She only looked from Lucas to the ring in front of her.

Finally, Lucas said, "Well?"

"Lucas, don't you think we should talk about this?" she asked, still in wonder.

"What's to talk about? I love you, you love me, we're going to stay together. What else is there?" he asked as he stood up. He took her hands and looked into her eyes.

"Riley, there is no other person in this world that I would rather be with. You are my future. And I know that no matter what, that will never change. So I see no reason why we can't get married."

"Lucas, I'm flattered, really. I love you, too," she said with loving eyes. "But I don't know how my parents would react to this. Oh my gosh, they're going to kill you!" she said, when the realization hit her.

"Don't worry about anyone else," he said softly. "This isn't about your parents or my parents or anyone else. It's about you and me. You said that you believe we'll be together forever. Why don't we start our forever, Riley?"

"But what are you going to do when my dad finds out?"

"I'll tell him that we love each other. And that we'll always be together. And that nothing in the world could keep us apart."

Riley smiled up at Lucas and had tears in her eyes from her happiness.

"So will you marry me?" Lucas asked again, showing her the ring again.

"Yes," she answered sweetly.

Lucas put the ring on her finger and picked her up to whirl her around. When he put her on the ground, she smiled widely. Then he leaned down and kissed her softly.

"I don't want to go anywhere else," Riley said. "I don't want this moment to end."

"Me either," Lucas replied, smiling his crooked smile at her.

"How about we just stay here then? We can just enjoy the moment together," Riley said. She pulled his hand to the bay window and sat down. He sat next to her and put his arm around her. She scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

They simply sat in silence for a few moments, just letting themselves stay in the bliss that existed before they told anyone of their engagement.

Lucas finally said, "We need to tell them."

Riley sighed and said, "I know. But maybe we can just not tell them for a little bit. Let them keep their little girl for as long as possible. Then, when it's safe, we can tell them."

"What are you going to do, not wear the ring?"

"Well, not in public until we tell them."

"Riley, that's crazy. We just need to muster up some courage and go tell them. Besides, you know that if they found out we were engaged for even a few days without telling them, they would _really_ kill us."

Riley sighed again. "Well then we'd better go break the news."

Lucas looked at her and stroked her cheek with his thumb and said, "Don't worry. It'll be okay. I'll be there."

"That's what I'm worried about," Riley said, sitting up. "My dad is going to kill you."

"On what grounds? He told me to follow my heart, and I did."

"Yes, but do you really think that this was what he meant?" Riley asked, holding her left hand out.

Lucas grabbed her left hand and stood up, pulling them both up.

He walked to the door and then, as he was about to open it, Riley yelled, "Stop!"

"Riley, we have to tell them," Lucas said.

"No, it's just that I don't really think you should be coming out of my bedroom and into the living room saying that you've proposed."

"Oh, right." Lucas said. "Do you want to come outside with me and we'll go through the front door together?"

Riley exhaled loudly. "Yeah, let's do it."

The couple then crawled out of the window and made their way to the street, where they walked into the apartment building. They went through all the hallways hand in hand until they got to the door of Riley's apartment. They stopped at the door and looked at each other, each searching for strength from the other. Finally, Lucas reached for the door handle and opened the door.


	7. Telling Cory and Topanga

Lucas opened the door and held it open for Riley. She took a deep breath and walked through the door.

"Hey, guys," she greeted her parents. They were sitting, practically lying, curled up together on the couch with a blanket, watching TV. Cory was lying on his back on the couch and Topanga was between him and the couch, but laying her head on Cory's chest.

"Hey, Riley. Hey, Lucas," Topanga said.

"Riley, I thought you were in your room," Cory said, sitting up, making Topanga also sit up.

"Oh, well I was, but then I went outside with Lucas and we didn't want to climb back in the window."

"Oh," Cory said, returning to his original position and shifting his gaze back to the television.

Riley and Lucas stood near the door awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.

Topanga craned her neck around and saw them. "Are you guys going to sit down or just stand there and watch us watch TV?" she asked, amused.

"Um, we have something to tell you," Lucas said.

Cory narrowed his eyes and stared at Lucas. "What?" he asked.

Lucas looked at Riley, who was hiding her left hand behind her back. Riley looked back at Lucas. She didn't want to be the one to say it, but she knew that if he said it, it would be worse for them.

"We're engaged," Riley said quickly, ready for shots to be fired from her dad.

Cory jumped off of the couch, nearly knocking Topanga onto the floor, and ran to Lucas.

"_What_ did you do?!" he yelled, pointing his finger at Lucas.

"Dad! Stop!" Riley cried out. She stood in front of Lucas and looked her dad in the eyes.

"Riley, you are _not_ engaged!" he yelled. Topanga got up and went to stand behind Cory.

"Yes, we are," she replied defiantly.

Cory saw her left arm still behind her back and pulled it up to look at it.

"What is this?!" Cory yelled, his face getting red with anger.

"It's an engagement ring, sir," Lucas said.

"Cory, honey, calm down," Topanga said.

Cory turned around to look at Topanga incredulously. "Calm down?! You're kidding, Topanga! Our daughter just told us she got _engaged_ and you're telling me to calm down?!"

Topanga got an angry look on her face and said, "Yes, Cory. I'm telling you to calm down. Sit on the couch."

Cory, unsure of what to do, looked from Riley and Lucas to Topanga. Then he knew what he had to do. He walked angrily to the couch to sit down.

"Riley and Lucas, sit down please," Topanga said.

Lucas, knowing that he needed to stay as far from Cory as possible, sat in the chair across the room from Cory. Riley joined him. Topanga then sat next to Cory on the couch.

Cory glared at Lucas, and Lucas simply didn't look at him.

"Riley and Lucas, please explain why you feel that you should get married," Topanga said calmly.

Cory jumped out of his seat and screamed, "It doesn't matter! They aren't getting married!"

Topanga gave Cory a death glare, and he sat back down.

Lucas finally spoke. "I love your daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. I've told you this before. And I decided that I'm going to NYU next year because I can't live without her. In fact, Mr. Matthews, your speech inspired me to propose."

"I did what?!" Cory yelled, standing up again.

Topanga sighed angrily and then stood up and pulled Cory's shoulders down so he sat.

"Let. Him. Talk," she said to Cory.

"I knew that I never want to be out of the picture. I always want Riley to be a part of my life. And the only way to ensure that is to get married," Lucas finished.

"Riley, why do you think you should get married?" Topanga asked.

"Because I believe what he believes. I love him, and I will love him forever. So there's no point in delaying our forever," she answered.

"Oh, there's a point!" Cory cried, jumping up again.

Topanga, completely done dealing with Cory, stood up again. She glared at him, and he glared back.

"Topanga, stop telling me to calm down! I can't calm down! Our little girl just came to us and told us she's engaged, and I can't-"

Topanga interrupted him by kissing him. At first he tried to back away, but then he decided to kiss her back. When Topanga felt him kissing her too, she backed away.

"What was that?" Cory asked.

"I had to make you shut up!" she shouted. "You need to get off your high horse and listen to what they have to say. Doesn't this situation seem a little familiar?!"

"No!" he shouted. "Why would this seem familiar?!"

Topanga looked at him with irritation, waiting for him to catch on.

"Two kids barely finished with high school wanting to get married just because they love each other and…oh, wait," he said, sitting down.

He looked bashfully at Topanga and said, "I get it now."

"Do you?" she asked sarcastically. "Then I expect you to calm down and think rationally. It's a good thing Auggie's at a friend's house and not home to hear this. He'd probably have a panic attack listening to his father scream so loudly!" she yelled at his face.

"Okay, I'm sorry Topanga. I'm ready now," Cory said.

"Kids, I understand where you're coming from," Topanga began. "We've never told you this before, but we actually got engaged on our graduation day."

"Really?" Riley asked, not believing her mother. "Why didn't you ever tell us this?"

"Because we were trying to avoid this. We didn't want you to think that just because we did it, you can do it. We didn't want to appear to condone that kind of thing. We didn't want you to do the same thing. Apparently our plan didn't work, because here we are."

Riley looked down.

"But let me tell you something else," Topanga said. "We didn't get married for two years after that. Do you know why?"

Riley and Lucas shook their heads.

"Because even though we loved each other, it wasn't the right time. We didn't even start college yet! We had no money. We were in no position to get married."

"Then why did you propose, sir?" Lucas asked Cory.

"Oh, I didn't propose," Cory said. "She did!" he said, pointing at Topanga.

"Really? You proposed?" Riley asked in awe.

"Yeah," Topanga said, smiling at the remembrance of her graduation day.

"Okay, well why did you propose?" Lucas asked her.

"Well, I was kind of in the same situation as you," she said. "Cory told me about your meeting and how you decided to stay in New York. I had a similar conversation with my teacher."

"Mr. Feeny?" Riley asked.

"Yep," Topanga said, smiling. "I was accepted at Yale, and I didn't know what to do either. So I went to Mr. Feeny for advice. He told me that I should go to Yale unless I had a really good reason not to. That's when I realized what was more important."

She looked at Cory, who was furiously chewing his nails, trying to chase his worry away. Her glance at him did not prove her point, as he was comically depicted as a nervous mess. Topanga made a face at him, and he stopped and looked up at her, realizing he was caught in his bad habit. He quickly put his hands behind his back and smiled at Topanga.

Topanga rolled her eyes and looked back at Riley and Lucas.

"During our graduation ceremony, I told him that I knew what I wanted to do with my life and then proposed."

"Aw!" Riley cooed.

"But just because we knew we wanted to be together didn't mean we needed to get married. Because if both people are completely dedicated, you don't need to get married to make sure it lasts forever," Topanga said knowingly.

"His parents told us that, and we almost didn't listen. We almost got married anyway, without them. But then, just in time, we decided that they were right. I don't know what would have happened if we got married then, because I don't know if we would have ever even finished college. I mean, who knows, we could have had you two years earlier and then not have been able to finish," Topanga said, looking at Riley. "Sometimes, it's just better to wait and see what happens."

Lucas asked, "So what does that mean for us?"

"Well, I don't know," Topanga said. "You have to decide that for yourselves."

Cory looked at Topanga and asked, "Can I speak now?"

"If you can contain yourself," she answered. He stood up and she kissed his cheek. "I love you," she whispered.

"Wait, how are you not mad anymore?" Riley asked her mom.

"Huh?" Topanga asked, not noticing what Riley was talking about.

"You were just yelling at him before, and then you kissed his cheek and said you love him."

"Because that's what people do when they're in love," Topanga said. "You can't hold grudges over stupid things the other person does," she said, pointing at Cory with a smirk.

"And you just have to forgive and forget," Cory added, grabbing her index finger and pulling her toward him to kiss her.

Riley and Lucas looked at each other and smirked.

"So that'll be us in a few years?" Riley asked him.

"I guess so," he said, smiling.

"I can't wait," Riley said, smiling back.

"Hey, we're not done with this discussion," Cory said.

"Well, what do you propose, sir?" Lucas asked. "No pun intended," he added with a smirk.

"I propose that you think this through very well. I propose that if you get married, you believe that you're the most ready you could ever be. And I also propose that if you get married, you know that it's for life. Because there's no going back," Cory answered.

"I know that, sir," Lucas replied.

"So does that mean you give us your blessing?" Riley asked.

"Because you are in the same place we were, I understand where you're coming from," Cory said. "But I do not believe that marriage is the best idea right now. I think that an engagement is okay. But I don't think that it should serve as anything other than a promise ring for the time being."

Lucas stood up and walked over to Cory. He held out his hand and said, "I agree, sir."

"Oh, thank goodness," Cory said, breathing a huge sigh of relief. Cory took his hand and shook it.

Topanga smiled and put her arm around Cory's waist.

Riley walked over to her parents and said, "I agree too. As much as I hate to say it, you guys are right. But when do we know when it's time to get married?"

"You just know," Cory said.

"How did you guys know?" Riley asked.

Cory looked at Topanga and they laughed.

"I think that's a story for another time," Topanga said. "It's kind of a long one. I think it's about time that we all turn in for the night. What do you think, honey?" she asked Cory.

"Yeah," he replied. "Which means that _you_ have to go home," he said to Lucas.

"Sir, I think we should-"

"You're going home," Cory said. "Just because you're engaged doesn't give you any new special privileges. You still have a 9:00 curfew from us, Mr. Friar. There will be _no_ staying past that time, and still no being in Riley's room without the door open."

"I understand, sir," Lucas said with a chuckle.

"Cory, don't you remember what we were like at that time?" Topanga asked.

"Topanga, this is not a time for that! We don't need to encourage them!"

"Wait, so you guys were pretty intimate, huh?" Riley asked with a smirk.

"Well, I wouldn't say _intimate_," Topanga said. "We never went very far at all, until we were married, but I wouldn't say we were only holding hands," she said, laughing.

"A-ha!" Riley said. "I have proof!"

"Oh, whatever. Go home, Friar. See you at school tomorrow," Cory said.

"Yes, sir," Lucas replied. He went over to Riley and kissed her quickly, glancing at Cory to make sure that he wasn't going to be reprimanded, and then walked out the door.

"So what's this about proof?" Topanga asked Riley.

"Don't ask, Topanga!" Cory said.

"Oh, it's too late, Dad!" Riley exclaimed.

The Matthews continued their evening, laughing happily and enjoying their time together. Riley asked for more stories, which Cory was slightly unwilling to tell. Topanga lovingly scolded him and kissed him each time, offering him a reward for giving in.

Riley was engaged to Lucas Friar, and somehow it was all going to be alright.

**That's it! How did you guys like it? I really enjoyed writing this story! I am considering a sequel, so let me know if you think I should and what it should be about! Thank you to all of my dedicated followers!**

**A special thank you goes out to ****cowgirlangel95**** who reviewed **_**every single chapter**_** for this story! I really appreciate your dedication to the story! **

**Please review and let me know about the sequel! Also, what did you think of the ending?**

**Thanks again! :)**


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